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Public Lectures and Entertainments 



FOR 



Rural High Schools 



^'The fact remains, however, that our 
schools are the property of the people, and 
from every just and sensible viewpoint the 
adult should share in their benefits and 
privileges." 

— F. E. DowNES. 



ISSUED BY 



The State Department of Education 

J. D. Eggleston, State Superintendent 



AND 



The Co-Operative Education Association of Virginia 

J. Stewart Bryan, President 



v^tS^ 



School principals or leagues undertaking work of the 
kind described in this palnphlet are urged to notify J. H. 
Binford, Secretary of the Co-operative Education Associa- 
tion, Richmond, Va., who will gladly give them all -possible 
aid in securing speakers. 



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The greatest service a school can render a community is 
to teach well the pupils who attend it. Good, thorough in- 
struction in the fundamentals, along with a proper safeguard- 
ing of the health and morals of the children, is undoubtedly 
the primary duty of the school ; and consequently that teacher 
or principal is to be commended who devotes his time and 
skill to these things. But the teacher, and especialW the 
principal meets with many discouragements in his work one 
of the chief of which is the indilt'erence of the community 
to the schooL There is scarcely a principal in Virginia who 
has not at some time felt the weight of this community in- 
diiference as a mill-stone about his neck. This indifference 
covers everything except the faults of the school. Now and 
then somebody comes miles to criticise but never to praise. 
When the grounds are to be beautified, when a library is to 
be obtained, the enthusiasm of pupils and teachers is chilled 
by the coldness of the public. 

In order that the school may do its best work with the 
young this indifference on the part of the adults in the com- 
munity must be overcome. The parents of the children must 
be loyal ; they must be enthusiastic about everything connected 
with the school. In some way the grown-ups must be induced 
to visit the school or else they will remain forever in ignor- 
ance of its excellences and indifferent to its welfare. Many a 
teacher, presiding over an ungraded school far away from 
town or village, has popularized her little school by getting 
people out at stated times to hear the children sing and re- 
cite. In this way she has given the community a nobler idea 
of her task as a teacher and she has furthermore, added to 
her own share of happiness in the work. 

But there is a broaded view of this matter. Not only 
should we seek to draw the adults to the school for the sake 
of the children but for their own benefit as well. The new" 
high school with its assembly hall should be a factor in the 
community life. When we get this larger view of the school 
what a dignified office is that held by the principal of a rural 
high school! What a useful person he may be to the com- 
munity in which he labors! 



We need to make full use of the fine school buildings 
which have sprung up, as if by magic, all over the State. 
Country people lack the varied social life, the lectures and 
entertainments of many kinds enjoyed by city people. The 
rural high school should break up this isolation of the country 
districts. It should draw the people together at stated times 
and thus add to the social and intellectual life of the com- 
munity. 

Every rural high school can ati'ord to hold a modest 
lyceum course during the winter months. The object of this 
pamphlet is to interest school principals and school leagues 
in this important phase of our educational work. It is sug- 
gested that dates be selected for not less than four nor more 
than six public meetings. After selecting dates the next thing 
is to determine upon the character of the entertainments. 
Some of the entertainments should be free to the public ; where 
an admission is charged the proceeds should be spent in the 
school. 

Such a series of lectures and entertainments could be held 
at a very small expense. Several of the colleges and State 
institutions of learning have manifested a lively interest in 
this subject and have promised to send lecturers. The vari- 
ous departments of the State have speakers at their command 
who will gladly aid in this work. In every community there 
are prominent citizens, eminent lawyers, ministers and phj^si- 
cians who would cheerfully take part in the work. The Sec- 
retary of the Co-operative Education Association is author- 
ized to print the following list of available speakers, who 
unless otherwise designated, have agreed to make a limited 
number of engagements at the expensse of the institutions 
they represent. 

EDUCATIONAL TOPICS. 

Dr. Geo. H. Denny, President of Washington and Lee 
University. 

J. S. Thomas, Dean of the Virginia Christian College, 
Lynchburg, Ya. 

Dr. Bruce K. Payne, LTniversity of Virginia. 



Prof. H. E. Bennett. William and Mary College. 

Prof. Cornelius J. ITeatwolde, Harrisonburg Normal. 

J. P. McConnell, Emory and Henry College, Emory, Va. 

Dr. W. S. Neighbors. President Siillms' College. Bristol, 
Va. 

Dr. J. A. Morehead, President Koanoke College, Salem, 
Vsi. 

Chas. G. Maphis, Charlottesville, Va. 

A. B. Chandler, Jr., Fredericksburg, Va. 

Oscar L. Shewmake, Petersburg, Va. 

E. E. Worrell, Roanoke, Va. 

J. H. Binford, Jackson Davis, T. S. Settle, of the De- 
partment of Public Instruction, Richmond, Va. 

STEREOPTICAN LECTURES. 

Dr. Allen Freeman, State Department of Health, Rich- 
mond, Va. 

Prof. S. W. Fletcher, Virginia Polytechnic Institute. 

J. H. Binford, Richmond, Va. 

O. B. Martin, United States Department of Agriculture, 
Washington, D. C. 

ECONOMICS AND AGRICULTURAL SUBJECTS. 

D. S. Freeman, Ph. D., Richmond, Va. 

Dr. J. W. Ritchie, William and Mary College. 

Mr. T. O. Sandy, Burkeville, Va. 

J. J. Owen, Director Farmers Institutes, State Depart- 
ment of Agriculture, Richmond, Va. 

Chas. K. Graham, Hampton Normal and Industrial In- 
stitute, Hampton, Va. Subject — "Poultry Raising." 

LITERARY AND GENERAL TOPICS. 

Rev. W. R. Burrell, Fairmount Baptist Church, Rich- 
mond, Va. Subject— Canada from Sea to Sea. 

Rev. John Hannon (Halifax county only) South Boston, 
Va. Subject — Diogenes and His Tub Philosophy. 

R. C. Stearnes, Secretary of State Board of Education, 
Richmond. Va. Subject— Life of Gen. N. B. Forrest. 



H. L. Blanton, Editor Virginia Journal of Education. 
Eichmond, Va. Subject — Negro Stories and Literary Read- 
ings. 

Miss A. G. iSmith (Halifax county only), Farmville State 
Normal School. Subject^ — Literary Readings. 

Dr. R. E. Blackwell, Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, 
Va. Subject — Lord Tennyson. 

Prof. R> E. Loving will supply lecturers from Richmond 
College. 

The above list of speakers is only suggestive. Those in- 
terested should seek as far as possible to engage speakers from 
their own section of the State. Most of the speakers in the 
last group would expect their traveling expenses to be paid 
by the people or organization inviting them. Besides the 
above list of speakers the following Lyceum Bureaus and 
professional entertainers are mentioned. The Radcliffe Ly- 
ceum Bureau, Washington. D. C. ; Alkahest Lyceum System, 
Atlanta, Ga.; Polk, Miller, Richmond, Va.; D. S. Leftwich, 
Impersonator, Waynesboro, Va. ; W. Powell Hale, Impersona- 
tor, Jefl'erson City, Tenn. 



Letters from College Presidents 



WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY, 
Lexington, Virginia. 

October 14th, 1910. 
J. H. Binford^ Esq.^ 

Richmond, Virginia. 
Dear Mr. Binford: — 

I am interested in your letter of October 12th5 and the 
suggestion you make in your letter was fully discussed at a 
meeting of the executive committee of the Co-operative Asso- 
ciation four or five years ago. My recollection is that it was 
favorably considered. 

I should be glad to co-operate in the matter to the extent 
of my ability, and you can use my name in connection with the 
movement and assign me to any appointment in this section 
that you might desire me to fill: provided, of course, I have 



no prior engagements to interfere with my filling the appoint- 
ment which you would give me. 

Assuring 3^ou of my regard, I remain, 
Very truly yours, 

George H. Denny, 

President. 

"Some of the most effective aid given in arousing interest 
among the people in the educaiton of all the children of the 
State has come from the active, able, and sympathetic work 
done hj the members of the faculties of the various denomina- 
tional institutions of Virginia. 

BUEEATJ OF LECTUEES. 

This spirit of co-operation between the denominational 
institutions and the public schools has led me to believe that 
the time has come when the various State and denominational 
seats of learning in Virginia can and should establish a bu- 
reau of lectures, whereby experts in various institutions may 
take the fruits of their knowledge and study to every nook 
and corner of the State." — From First Biennial Eeport of 
State Superintendent J. D. Eggleston. 

COLLEGE OF WILLIAM AND MAEY, 

Williamsburg, Virginia. 

October 15, 1910. 
Prof. J. H. Binford^ 
Eichmond, Va., 
Dear Sir: — 

I am in receipt of your letter regarding the lecture courses 
for the High Schools and think the plan an excellent one. 
I have been over the matter with President Tyler, who is 
thoroughly in accord with the idea. We will agree to fur- 
nish speakers and pay their expenses: provided, that the 
calls are not too frequent and the distance too great so as to 
run up too large an amount. You understand we will have 
only a limited amount for this purpose but are willing to do 
all in our power to reach the people and interest them in 
high school work. 



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Do not hesitate to call on me for any further assistance 
that I may otter. I am. 

Very truly yours, 

H. L. Bridges. 

EICHMOND COLLEGE, 
EicHMOND, Virginia. 

November 11, 1910. 
Mr. J. H, Binford^ 

Executive Secretary Co-operative Educational Association, 

Richmond, Va. 
My dear Mr. Binf ord : — 

Your recent letter in regard to the co-operation of mem- 
bers of our faculty in addressing schools and citizens' meetings 
in various pajls of the State, was duly received, and I have 
taken occasion to make inquiry of our professors concerning 
their willingness to accept your suggestions. I find that there 
is a general Avillingness on the part of the professors to do 
what they can to forward educational work in the State, and 
particularly tJie work in which you are engaged. We have 
recently organized in Richmond College a branch of the State 
Teachers' Association, which 1 believe all, or at least nearly 
all, of the professors have joined. Professor Loving is Secre- 
tary and Treasurer of this Association, and I suggest that he 
would be the proper person with whom to communicate when 
you are in need of speakers. I am sure he will attend to the 
matter promptly and gladly. His address is R. E. Loving, 
Ph. D., Richmond College. 

You refer to the matter of travelling expenses, and we 
should, of course, like for the actual travelling expenses of our 
professors to be paid b}^ the persons who receive the benefit. I 
wish to say, how^ever, about this matter that Richmond Col- 
lege is willing to co-operate with you on the same basis on 
which any State institution is willing to act. If a meeting 
was to be held which, in your opinion, was important to the 
educational interests of the State or any large number of 
people, and there was not money available to pay speakers, we 
should not wish representatives from Richmond College left 
out on this account. Our professors are heartily and enthusi- 
astically interested in all that pertains to the development of 
educational ideals and educational w^ork in this State, and 
we desire to bear our full share of the burden. 

Yours sincerely, 

F. W. BOATWRIGHT, 

President. 



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